Punch



c. .A. FINLEY Filed June 24, 1927 CHARLES A F|NLEY azg i qya Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICEg CHARLES A. FINLEY, or norrnnnroim, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T 300mm & PEASE COMPANY, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, VA CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

W PUNCH.

Application filed. June 24, 1927. Serial No. 201,139.

.This invention relates more especially to oflice punches used for making holes in loose sheets of paper which are to be put in loose leaf binders, and has for its objectto provide an improved, inexpensive, easily operated punch which can be readily adjusted to punch the various standard gauges needed for difi erent loose leaf binders in common use V v Another object is to obviate the laborious study and the liability of unintentional variation which are incidental to spacing punches at the required distances by hand. According to this invention, a number of punch-pins are provided permanently spaced apart at standard distances and with means for selecting desired ones for operation. g f

Other and further objects will appear in the specification and claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings exemplifying the invention andin which,

Figure 1 is a plan View of this improved punch with the operating lever broken and turned to show both its top and bottom;

Figures 2 and 3 are cross sections on the 'line 2'2 of Fig. 1', Fig. 2 showing a selected pin before and after depression, while Fig. i 3 shows the position of the parts after the operating lever has been depressed when the pin isnot selected; and Figure 4: is a front elevation of one end of the device, partly in section with part of the front wall of the punch-support broken away. I

In the preferred formof my invention, the base 1 is cut out of one sheet of metal, and is formed with downwardly curved edges 2 which elevatethe device slightly from any 4 object upon which it rests, to provide a space into which the bits of paper out out by the punch pins" may drop. From the base 1 raised surfaces 3 are pressed up, to which a punch-support5 is riveted. These surfaces 3 serve to space the ba'se land punch support 5 apart a distance suitable to permit insertion between them of a suitable number of the sheets to be punched, and the front faces 4:, ofthe raised surfaces act-as steps for the edge of the sheets. In thedrawings a raised surface 3 is shown near each end of the base. The punch-support 5 can also be stamped from. a single sheet of metal and in the formof my invention shown in] the thearawings, it is folded into a hollow lever 14 is of sheet metal and includes a handle 15 suitably attached, as by rivets. The rear edge 16 of the lever let'is shaped to form hinge knuckles upon the bar 13, and is cut away at 17 \vherethe ends 12 of the legs of the punch support engage the bar 18.

At desired intervals holes 23am provided in the lever, in alignment "withslightly' smaller holes" in the the base 1 and in the top'and bottom 6 and 7 of the .punch s'upport.

A punch-pin 24 is supported in each aligned pair of holes in the punch-support in such position that normally the lower end of the punch is in, but not below the perforation in the bottom 7 of the punch sup port, while the head of the punch-p111 extends through and'above the perforation in] the top 6 of the support; (See Fig.3.) The lower end of the punch-pin may be grooved to providefa cutting edgei 7i The punchpin is held in its normal or' uppermost position by spring 2 6 fitted upon said pin'betwecn the top 6 and the bottom 7 ofthe punch support and bearing at its upper end'against the collar25 which is fitted in a groove around the neckof the pin. The collar 25 determinesthe 'maximum height which the pin may extend above the punch-support, and in its'normal position rests against the top6. (Fig. 3.) In the drawings theibase 1 is "provided with a scale 27, having lines indicating the center ofeacl1pn 11chpin. The line at the left hand"punchismarked with the character O, and each other line is marked with characters to indicate-the number of inches that line is from the 0 line, i. e., which the center ofithat punch-pin is from the center of-the left hand punch-pin.

At the'ends of the lever'a're formed down- "wardlyprojec'ting lugs 18, which carry a rod 19ml to slide easily within the groove formed on the ui'iderside of the lever by'the front and rear edges of the lever. Each plate 20 is provided with a tab 21 which is shaped to abut against the front wall 220i the lever, thus holding the plates to lie practically flat against the under side of the lever.

These tabs 21 are accessible to the operator and form a convenient means for moving the plates along the rod.

Each plate 20 can he slid along the rod 19 and made either to lie between the holes 23, or to lie directly under and close one of the holes 23. Thus it is possible to select certain punch-pins for operation while others remain inoperative.

The device is equipped with gauge-rod 28, retained against the front wall 8 of the puncl1-support by the clip 29, which may be secured to the punch-support by suitable meanssuch as rivet 30.

Figures 2 and 3 show the operating lever 14. depressed in its extreme downward" position. In Fig. 2, and at the ends in Fig. i,

a plate 20 is shown lying directly under and closing the lever hole which is aligned with the punclnsupport holes in which a punch-pin 2a is supported with the result that the depression of the lever has depressed the punch-pin, forcing its lower end through the aligned holes in-the bottom 7 of the punch-support and in the base 1. thus perforating at that point any sheets'lying in position on the base. 7 I

It will be noted that in Figure 2, the collar 25 which is stationary on the neck of the punch-pin 24 has been depressed by the depressing of the punch-pin, so that it no' longer rests in its normal position against top 6 of the punch support.

,When pressure is removed from the handle 15 the action of the spring 26 raises the punch-pin until the collar again rests against the top 6 of the punch support. This raises the foot of the punch-pin until it rests in the perforation in the bottom 7 of the punchsupport (as shown in Fig. 3) and the head of the punch-pin rises and the handle and plate are carried to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3 the plate 20 has been slid along the rod 19 to lie between holes 23. so that there is no plate 20 over the hole 23 aligned with the holes carrying the punch-pin shown. Consequently the punch-pin is not depre sed but is inoperative although the operating lever is depressed.

In Fig. 4 in which the operating lever 14: is also depressed. the first and third punch pins are covered by plates 20 and are depressed to cutting position'as in Figure 2.

while the second plate 20 has been slid between. the holes 23, so that the central punch-pin shown is not covered by a plate and is inoperative.

By constructing the punch with the punch-pins arranged at appropriate distances from each other, one and same device can be used to punch sheets for almost ,centers of the other pins spaced respectively a, 2%, 3 ,4 its, 5 6, 7 and 8 4 inches from the center. of the left hand pin. uBut it is understood that my punch may be constructed with pins differently spaced to suit different needs without departing from my invention. v

By way of explanation of the operation of the device it may be assumed thatit is desired to punch two holes 4 inches apart in loose leaf sheets. the plates 20 are slid along the rod 19'until two .of the plates 20 cover the two holes 28 which are the desired distance apart, while the remaining plates are placed between holes. This setting is shown in Figure 1. where plates are shown over the holes only at the 2% inch and 7 inch marks K on the scale on the base.v By some convenient means as by a pattern sheet, it is determined where the left hand edge of the sheet will lie when the desired perforations in the sheet are in line with the punch-pins selected to operate, and the gauge-rod 28 is set accordingly, by pushing it in or pulling it out until it abuts the edge of the sheet. The sheets to be punched are then inserted between the base 1 and the bottom of the punch-support, with the left edges of the sheets abutting the gauge-rod and their rear edges abutting against the front 4 of the surfaces 8 in the base 1. Then by pressure on the handle the lever 1 1- is de- I pressed. and that in turn depresses-the selected punch-pins acting through the'plates in alignmentwith the selected punch-pins.

I claim v j 1. In a paper punch. the combination of a series of spaced punch-pins, an operating lever provided with perforations in alignment with said punch-pins, and elements sliding upon said lever adapted to cover or lie betwen said perforations.

2. In a paper punch, permanently spaced punch-pins and a lever perforated to admit the heads of said punch-pins, in combination with a rod supported by and beneath said lever and plates slidable on said rod to cover the perforations in said lever, the relation of the plates to the perforations being such that the plates may lie between perforations when not in use.

3. In a paper punch, permanently spaced punch-pins, in combination with a lever perforated in alignment with said punch-pins, a rod supported by said lever extending lengthwise thereunder. plates slidable upon saidrod to provide closure of the pertora- 1,665,315 a V I a tions, and tabs on said plates tending to hold plates slidable upon said rod to provide closame parallel to said lever. sure of the perforations, and tabs on said 1 4. In a paper punch, a sheet metal, sup plates accessible to the operator/and tending port, permanently spaced punch-pins there to hold said plates parallel to the lever.

5 in, in combination with a sheet metal lever In testimony whereof I havesigned my perforated in alignment with said punch name to thisspecification. pins, a rod supported by said lever extending lengthwise thereunder, sheet metal CHARLES A. FINLEY. 

